June 19 is significant for persons with Sickle Cell Anaemia as a date earmarked to share their pains. What does Sickle Cell Anaemia mean for carriers, its trauma and management?
Meet Mrs Aduralere Ayinde, a sickle cell carrier, who runs a non governmental organization, NGO, counselling sufferers and educating the public about the inalienable place of government’s intervention and social support system.
In the video below she incisively shares from life experience how carriers can rise above challenges associated with the disease and look forward to a productive and happy life.
Mrs Aduralere Ayinde’s story is one that holds out hope for all sickle cell patients. She is married with children. Her NGO, GASBOL Sickle Cell Faith Centre located in Sagamu, Ogun State offers counselling to carriers, with quite a number of beneficiaries from her advocacy. To support her efforts, you can reach her through these numbers 08067116850,09043501093, or send correspondence to this mail box, [email protected]
2024 World Sickle Cell Day theme is ‘Global Care for Sickle Cell Patients’
Recently, Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu raised alarm over the worsening situation of mental health of Nigerians in the state.
Governor Sanwo-Olu who said one in four Lagos residents struggles with one mental health disorder or the other explained that the figure is a product of research conducted by the World Health Organisation, W.H.O, and constitutes a fair assessment of odd behaviours in the state.
He noted that mental health is one of the issues in the society that is still largely misunderstood and whose conversations still happen in secret despite the fact that people know someone who is struggling with one form of mental health challenge or the other, like depression, anxiety, substance abuse and those lost to suicide.
It is stating the obvious that Nigerians are trying to keep body and soul together as a result of the enormous pressure of living such as abject poverty, frustration and hopelessness in the land.
Cases abound of people who have lost their lives to suicide, and more often than not, these tragedies are underreported due to fear of shame and stigmatization.
This has social implications and places a huge burden on the economy as experts say that depression alone is estimated to cost at least eight hundred billion dollars loss to economic output globally, a sum expected to double by 2030.
To this end, the effort of the state government to construct a five hundred bed psychiatric hospital and rehabilitation centre, in Ketu Ejirin is a welcome development.
The most important factor for a stable mental condition is good governance which is lacking in Nigeria characterised by insecurity anxiety and high unemployment rate.
All these combine to produce an environment that is prone to depression, and drug abuse that in turn foster delusion and various antisocial and negative behaviours.
A report of the assessment of the mental health system in Nigeria using the world health organization assessment instrument for mental health systems, provided in its executive summary that: there is considerable neglect of mental health issues in the country.
The existing mental health policy document was formulated in 1991 and was the first policy addressing mental health issues and its components include advocacy, promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.
Since its formulation, no revision has taken place and no formal assessment of how much it has been implemented has been conducted.
Though a list of essential medicines exists, they are not always available at the health centres.
No desk exists in the ministries at any level for mental health issues and only four percent of government expenditures on health are earmarked for mental health.
While working to improve governance and make life worth living for its populace, political office holders must strive to stop the mass departure of its physicians abroad.
According to international health monitors, nine out of every ten doctors in Nigeria are seeking to leave the country and find work elsewhere, this will increase the pressure on the patients.
All governments both at federal and state levels must work together to develop a strategy to counter the growing menace of poor mental health before it ravages the country.
Diagnostic errors are diagnosis that are delayed, wrong or missed altogether with fake or wrong results on the part of a doctor or laboratory scientists.
According to World Health Organization, diagnostic errors had led to patient harm and it is the fourteenth leading cause of the global disease burden, cause of morbidity and mortality across the world comparable to diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria.
It is estimated that there are four hundred and twenty one million hospitalizations in the world annually, and approximately forty two point seven million adverse events occur in patients during these period.
W.H.O says that there is a one in three hundred chance of a patient being harmed during health care.
According to report one-third of death cases or permanent disability began with an errant or delayed diagnosis, making it the biggest cause of serious harms among medical errors.
Diagnostic errors that led to death or permanent disability were linked with misdiagnosed cancers, vascular events and infections while half of the most severe harm cases ended in patient’s death and the other half resulted in permanent disability while failures of clinical judgment caused more than eighty five percent of the misdiagnosed cases.
Furthermore, report shows that misdiagnosis in treatments of cardiovascular events, cancers and infections comprise seventy four percent of all serious harms from diagnostic errors as well as thirty four percent of malpractice cases for death or permanent disability began with an errant or delayed diagnosis, making it the biggest cause or serious harms among medical errors.
It is stating the obvious that diagnostic errors, from missed diagnoses to misdiagnoses, are becoming rampant in Nigeria as numbers of people affected are increasing daily which has led to death of many or left them with a permanent injury.
Though, the list is endless but that of the wife of former APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomole, Mrs Clara who was wrongly diagnosed of breast cancer that eventually claimed her life on December 7, 2010.
Also, the case of late human rights activists, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, was diagnosed with pneumonia and was undergoing treatment, but by the time his case got critical and he was flown abroad, correct diagnosis showed that he had cancer at that point, it was too late, as the cancer had reached an advanced stage and he died of the ailment.
Some medical experts suggested that provision of quality diagnostic test reports in the least turnaround time (tat) will enable doctors to improve patient’s treatment and safety, noting that about forty to fifty percent of samples are sent outside of Nigeria for testing which increases the tats and leads to delay in treatment for Nigerians.
They noted that these samples sent to countries like India, South Africa, United kingdom, America and Europe led to delay of the results needed for diagnosis of patients as the turnaround time of results, which comes from any of these countries take about seven, ten and sometimes 30 days for some of the tests report to come out which might be late for treatment.
While some medical laboratory scientists have blamed the increasing misdiagnosis in laboratory practice on wrong reagents, equipment, and lack of enabling environment, experts and other stakeholders have described most of the deaths as avoidable.
Aside from causing avoidable deaths, misdiagnoses have also left many victims with new and strange ailments and could condemn them to a lifetime of permanent disability while legs and arms have been amputated as a result of wrong diagnosis.
Considering the havoc caused by diagnostic errors, it is of note that the advice of former APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole be considered which called for a review of Nigeria’s medical system so that doctors treat patients only in their specialized areas for a professional and perfect delivery.
He added that the menace of wrong diagnoses could be prevented by government, if it provided robust regulation on the health system.
World Health Organisation, W.H.O, 2019 report put malaria figure at Two Hundred and Twenty Nine Million Cases Globally. While malaria related deaths stood at four hundred and nine thousand same year. As aresult of the death burden from this disease, W.H.O, set aside every 25th April as World Malaria Day to highlight prevention and control. Malaria is an acute feverish illness and report shows that children under five years are the most vulnerable group affected by the disease. For instance these category of people accounted for sixty-seven percent of malaria death worlwide. Other groups with higher risk of contracting malaria include pregnant women, patients with HIV/AIDs as well as non-immuned migrants. What is the level of awareness on risk associated with malaria? Some residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital displayed high knowledge of it. They called on the government to make insecticide mosquito nets available for a zero malaria society Speaking on prevention of malaria? A medical doctor, Bolaji Ahmed noted that vaccination, clean environment, sleeping under mosquito treated net was paramount for prevention of the disease. Doctor Ahmed pointed out that headache, irritation, loss of appetite were some signs of malaria. Contributing, A public health expert at the department of veterinary and public health and preventive medicine, University of Ibadan, Dr. Kehinde Adesokan pointed out that zero malaria society is possible but not without measures which include increased awareness on malaria causes and prevention, regular bush clearing of residential places as well as avoiding self medication. Doctor Adesokan urged people to always maintain a healthy lifestyle for a zero malaria society.
One of the determinants of a well developed nation health wise is her life expectancy ratio.
Life expectancy can be defined as a statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live, based on the year of its birth, its current age and other demographic factors including gender.
According to World health Organization ,W.H.O, in 2018, the total life expectancy in Nigeria was fifty five point two years and a world ranking of One Hundred and Seventy-Eighty.
This report showed that Nigeria has the world’s lowest life expectancy with male life expectancy standing at fifty-four point seven years while female is at fifty-five point seven.
It is however disheartening that the National Population Commission, N.P.C, data says overall life expectancy in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has dropped by three years to fifty-two point two years.
With this global report, life expectancy of an average Nigerian in 2019 was not better than those in the Central African Republic, Chad and Sierra Leone, with life expectancy of fifty-three point eight.
Meanwhile, countries like Hong Kong, Japan, Switzerland have the highest life expectancy rates of eighty-four point three, eighty-four point one and eighty-three point seven years
Identifiable causes of death in Nigeria are corruption, suicide, war, violence, early marriage and natural disasters.
Others are motor accidents, ignorance, hypertension and other diseases.
To improve life expectancy, therefore, there should be quality and affordable health care services for all Nigerians.
Moreover, the national health insurance scheme should be extended to cover all categories of health issues and all classes of people.
Government should increase budgetary allocations to health institutions nationwide so as to improve quantity and quality of facilities as in developed nations where wealthy Nigerians migrate to in search of better health services.
The World Health Organization’s recommendation that one doctor should address every six hundred patients should be ensured so as to have good health care delivery as the present one doctor to every five thousand Nigerian is dangerous.
Corruption which has been the bane of the nation’s development should be tackled headlong as this will boost the nation’s healthcare system.
Also, primary health care centres should be strengthened to serve the larger population and address the problem of quackery and mi- diagnosis which often lead to loss of lives in rural communities.
It is also imperative for pharmaceutical companies to be above board by ensuring the production of safe and affordable drugs while pharmaceutical regulatory agencies should increase surveillance on prescription, dispensing and administration of products.
Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life.
These changes trigger a decline in thinking skills, severe enough to impair daily life and independent function.
They also affect behavior, feelings and relationships.
World Health Organisation, W.H.O, puts the figure of people living with dementia worldwide at almost fifty million.
This number is expected to triple by 2050 making it one of the leading cases of dependency and mental impairment among the elderly population.
Out of the fifty million people living with dementia, 58 percent are living in third world countries.
According to medical doctors, major cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease while microscopic bleeding and blood vessel blockage in the brain is another cause.
What are the risk factors of dementia and how can it be controlled?
A health educator at the University Of Ibadan, Professor Olawale Moronkola noted that dementia could be hereditary, as a result of neurological disorders and sedentary lifestyle.
He maintained that old age and diseases of the heart like diabetes pre-disposes one to dementia.
Professor Moronkola emphasized that though dementia was incurable but could be managed through regular exercise and medication.
What is the level of awareness on this health condition?
Some residents of Ibadan displayed high knowledge of it.
A psychologist at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, Dr. Olugbemi Olukolade pointed out that dementia occurs in stages from mild to severe with enormous effects on both the patients and caregivers.
Dr. Olukolade who stressed that dementia can be overwhelming identified anxiety, irritability, grief and sadness as some of the psychological effects of dementia.
Dr. Olukolade emphasized that love and empathy should be shown to people living with dementia for them to have a happy and long life.
